Somerset Council has quietly withdrawn around £109,000 initially set aside to establish a new travellers' site near Taunton. This funding, carried over from the former Taunton Deane Borough Council’s capital budget, was intended to provide a temporary transit site for gypsy, Roma, and traveller communities passing through the area to reduce unauthorised encampments on public green spaces.
With the formation of Somerset Council in April 2023—which replaced the county council and four district councils—this money was integrated into the new capital programme. However, council officers have now confirmed that it has been removed following a financial review and the absence of any viable site proposals.
Councillor Simon Coles (Liberal Democrat, Taunton East) expressed long-standing concerns about the lack of dedicated traveller sites. He highlighted that despite a government-related sum of around £100,000 being ring-fenced historically, it was never actually spent on site provision. “My local park, Victoria Park, is repeatedly occupied, which causes issues for the local community. Without designated sites, these incursions will continue,” he warned.
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Councillor Hazel Prior-Sankey (Independent, Taunton South) recalled multiple attempts to find suitable land but noted that landowners were reluctant to sell due to prejudice. However, Chris Hall, the council’s executive director for community, place, and economy, clarified that the funds in question were not a government grant but borrowing approvals that no longer exist in the capital programme due to the council’s financial emergency.
Currently, Somerset Council manages three traveller sites through Elim Housing, located at Chubbards Cross, Marsh Lane, and a smaller site in Pitney. Councillor Liz Leyshon (Lib Dem, Street) pointed out the difficulty in acquiring land, describing it as a “chicken and egg” problem where government grants require land identification first.
The council had proposed a new travellers' site north of Porchestall Drove using part of the £23.6m Glastonbury town deal funds, which include plans for off-road accommodation. However, these proposals were withdrawn early in 2024 due to flooding concerns, and a subsequent solar farm plan for the site was refused. An alternative, undisclosed site was purchased in summer 2024, with a new planning application anticipated later this year.
Councillor Susannah Hart (Conservative, Glastonbury) indicated that Glastonbury Town Council is open to offering temporary land for use as a transit site. Nonetheless, after many years of searching, no deliverable traveller site has yet been identified, leading to the formal removal of the £109,000 borrowing approval in Somerset Council’s 2024/25 budget.
A council spokesperson confirmed: “Despite many years of work, no deliverable site was identified. The £109,000 was funded by borrowing approval, which has now been removed as part of budget setting.”